HYPERBOLIC GEOMETRY: SOLUTION SHEET 1

JIMMY TSENG

Exercise (1). Prove that the Euclidean metric is a metric.

p
Solution. The Euclidean metric is dEuc (x, y) := k(x1 y1 , x2 y2 )k = (x1 y1 )2 + (x2 y2 )2
where x := (x1 , x2 ) and y := (y1 , y2 ). We need to verify the axioms ofpa metric.
Axiom (i). Since the square of a real number is nonnegative, thenp (x1 y1 )2 + (x2 y2 )2 0
and thus dEuc (x, y) 0. If x = y, then dEuc 2 2
p (x, y) = dEuc (x, x) = (x1 x1 ) + (x2 x2 ) = 0.
If dEuc (x, y) = 0, then we have that 0 = (x1 y1 )2 + (x2 y2 )2 and, since the two terms are
always nonnegative, they bothp must be equal to 0 andp thus x1 = y1 and x2 = y2 .
Axiom (ii) dEuc (x, y) := (x1 y1 )2 + (x2 y2 )2 = (y1 x1 )2 + (y2 x2 )2 = dEuc (y, x).
Axiom (iii) (The triangle inequality). Consider
(x21 + x22 )(y12 + y22 ) (x1 y1 + x2 y2 )2 = x21 y22 + x22 y12 2x1 x2 y1 y2 = (x1 y2 x2 y1 )2 0.
Thus we have
q q
kxkkyk = (x21 + x22 )(y12 + y22 ) |x1 y1 + x2 y2 |. (1.1)
Now consider
(kxk + kyk)2 kx + yk2 = (x21 + x22 + y12 + y22 + 2kxkkyk) (x21 + 2x1 y1 + y12 + x22 + 2x2 y2 + y22 )
= 2kxkkyk 2x1 y1 2x2 y2 0,
where the inequality follows by (1.1). Thus we have kx + yk kxk + kyk.
Finally, we have dEuc (x, z) = kxzk = kxy+yzk kxyk+kyzk = dEuc (x, y)+dEuc (y, z).
Exercise (6). Let (X, d) be a metric space and f : X X be any function that preserves the
metric d. Prove that f is injective and continuous.
Solution. If f (x) = f (y), then d(f (x), f (y)) = 0. Hence, d(x, y) = 0 because f preserves d, and
so x = y by the first axiom of a metric. Hence, f is injective.
Let x X and let Br (x) denote the open ball of radius r around x. To show that f is
continuous at x, pick some > 0 and find > 0 so that f (B (x)) B (f (x)). However, since
d(x, y) = d(f (x), f (y)), it follows that if y B (x), then d(x, y) < , and so d(f (x), f (y)) < .
Thus f (y) B (f (x)). Hence, taking = yields the desired result.
Exercise (19). Let 0 < a < 1. Consider the path (t) = (1 t)i, 0 t 1 a. Show that
LengthH () = log 1/a.
Solution. We have that 0 (t) = i and Im((t)) = 1 t. From the definition of the hyperbolic
length, we have
Z 1a Z 1a 1a
| 0 (t)| 1 
LengthH () = dt = dt = log(1t) = log(a)+log(1) = log(1/a).
0 Im((t)) 0 1t 0

Remark. Notice in the exercise that, as a 0, we have that log 1/a . This motivates why
we call R {} the circle at infinity.
Date:
c 2016 Jimmy Tseng All Rights Reserved.
1
J. Tseng MATH30001/MATHM0008 Part II : Lecture notes on hyperbolic geometry 2
Exercise (23). Let Lg M. Show that Lg maps H to itself bijectively and give an explicit
expression for the inverse map.
Solution. Let  
a b
g := SL2 (R).
c d
Thus ad bc = 1. Recall that Lg : C C. We must first show that its restriction to H maps into
H, i.e. that Lg (H) H holds. Let z = x + iy H and hence y > 0. Then
a(x + iy) + b (ax + b + iay)(cx + d icy)
Lg (z) = =
c(x + iy) + d (cx + d + icy)(cx + d icy)
(ax + b)(cx + d) + acy 2 + i[a(cx + d) c(ax + b)]y
= .
|cx + d + icy|2
Now we have
(ad bc)y y
Im(Lg (z)) = 2
= > 0.
|cx + d + icy| |cx + d + icy|2
Thus Lg (H) H as desired.
Set
az + b
w = Lg (z) = .
cz + d
Solve for z:
dw b
z=
cw + a
and note that  
1 d b
g = .
c a
(Check this by multiplying matrices.) Thus we have shown that Lg1 (w) = z and hence we have
Lg Lg1 (w) = w and Lg1 Lg (z) = z. This gives that Lg1 is the desired explicit form of the
inverse function of Lg and shows that Lg is a bijection, as desired.
Exercise (24). Prove Theorem 3.2.
Solution. We are to prove that set M of Mobius transformations is a group with function com-
position as group law.
Closure. Let
Lg1 (z) = (a1 z + b1 )/(c1 z + d1 ) Lg2 (z) = (a2 z + b2 )/(c2 z + d2 ).
Their composition is
a2 [(a1 z + b1 )/(c1 z + d1 )] + b2 (a2 a1 + b2 c1 )z + (a2 b1 + b2 d1 )
Lg2 Lg1 (z) = = .
c2 [(a1 z + b1 )/(c1 z + d1 )] + d2 (c2 a1 + d2 c1 )z + (c2 b1 + d2 d1 )
Now we have
(a2 a1 + b2 c1 )(c2 b1 + d2 d1 ) (a2 b1 + b2 d1 )(c2 a1 + d2 c1 ) = (a1 d1 b1 c1 )(a2 d2 b2 c2 ) = 1,
which shows that Lg2 Lg1 is a Mobius transformation.
Associativity. Follows from that of function composition.
Identity. This is LI because LI (z) = (z +0)/(0+1) = z and thus Lg LI (z) = Lg (z) = LI Lg (z)
for all z C.
Inverse. This was shown in the solution to the previous exercise (i.e. Exercise 23 above).

J.T.: School of Mathematics, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol, BS8 1TW UK
E-mail address: j.tseng@bristol.ac.uk